McNair Scholars Program: Building Pathways to Excellence Since 2003
Since 2003, the McNair Scholars Program at 海角黑料 University has built a proud tradition of identifying, supporting, and preparing high-achieving scholars for success in graduate education and beyond. Year after year, talented students join a vibrant community committed to academic excellence, research, and purpose-driven achievement.
The program is designed to increase the attainment of doctoral degrees by providing structured preparation for graduate study. McNair Scholars engage in faculty-mentored research and scholarly activity while receiving comprehensive support that includes academic counseling, tutoring, conference participation, graduate school visits, and individualized guidance through the graduate application process.
Our alumni have gone on to earn prestigious fellowships and gain admission to competitive master鈥檚, doctoral, and professional programs across the United States, continuing the McNair legacy of excellence and impact.
The SEU McNair Scholars Program is more than preparation鈥攊t is a transformative experience rooted in research, innovation, and service. We are committed to breaking barriers and expanding access to terminal degrees.
Your potential. Our support. A brighter future for all.
Funded by the U.S. Department of Education and 海角黑料 University.
About McNair
Advisory Board
Regina Faunes, PhD
Associate Professor of Spanish-Foreign Languages
School of Arts and Humanities
Melissa 痴茅濒别锄, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Psychology
School of Behavioral and Social Sciences
Emma Zhong, DNP
Assistant Professor of Nursing
School of Health Sciences
Kathleen Wilburn, PhD
Professor of Management
The Bill Munday School of Business
Trish Baynham, PhD
Professor of Biology
School of Natural Sciences
Austin Hestdalen, PhD (McNair Alumnus)
Asst. Professor of Communication
Purdue University Northwest
Amy Ontai, PhD (McNair Alumna)
Technical Scientific Writer
Department of Palliative, Rehabilitation & Integrative Medicine, MD Anderson Cancer Center
STEM Advisors
Lisa M. Goering, PhD
Professor of Biology
School of Natural Sciences
Jason Callahan, PhD
Professor of Mathematics
School of Natural Sciences
Objective 1
90 percent of McNair participants served during the project year will have completed appropriate research or scholarly activities during the McNair program academic year.
Objective 2
50 percent of McNair Program bachelor鈥檚 degree recipients (or equivalent) will be accepted and enrolled in a post-baccalaureate program of study by the fall term of the academic year immediately following the completion of the bachelor鈥檚 degree (or equivalent).
Objective 3
95 percent of first-year graduate students will continue to be enrolled in graduate school at the beginning of the fall term of the next academic year.
Objective 4
10 percent of McNair Program participants served will attain a doctoral degree within ten (10) years after attainment of the bachelor鈥檚 degree.
Our Mission
The St. Edward's University McNair Program provides services that will enable students from disadvantaged backgrounds, as defined by the Department of Education, to pursue doctoral studies. An evaluation will provide a means for collecting quantifiable data and documentation to verify successful completion of activities.
Eligibility Requirements
Applications are available to all eligible full-time students at 海角黑料 University.
Eligibility requirements include:
- Have at least 60 credit hours on your transcript before starting summer research
- Have a cumulative GPA of 2.7
- Come from a disadvantaged background as defined by the Department of Education
- Participate in our 8-week Summer Research Internship (mid-May to July)
- Be a U.S. Citizen or Permanent Resident
- Have a desire to conduct research in your respective field/discipline
- Be interested in pursuing a Doctoral degree (Ph.D.)
*Note: Students who will graduate before the summer will not be considered.
All majors are welcome to apply. For more information, email us.
Benefits and Opportunities
Throughout the academic year, McNair scholars receive:
- Regularly scheduled seminars on topics related to graduate school preparation.
- A mentoring opportunity with a faculty member who will provide guidance, advice, role modeling and an introduction to the academic profession.
- Letters of recommendation.
- GRE test preparation.
- Visits to graduate schools.
- Graduate school application fee waivers by those universities that conduct TRIO programs, as well as others.
Research
McNair scholars may also be eligible for a research internship beginning in the spring and continuing through the summer for eight weeks that includes:
- Summer stipend and paid room and board on campus for the eight weeks.
- Three semester hours of tuition-free credit.
- The opportunity to present research at the 海角黑料 University McNair Scholars Program Research Symposium and at national McNair Scholars conferences.
Application
Applications for the 2026-2027 McNair Scholars Program are opening on September 18, 2026 and closing on October 18, 2026!!
If you have any questions, or need assistance, please don't hesitate to contact our office. We can be reached at 512-428-1268 or by email at mcnairscholars@stedwards.edu.
The McNair Scholars Program publishes an annual research journal and newsletter. The journal presents work done during an 8-week summer research internship by our scholars. Our newsletter, The Orbit, highlights accomplishments, interviews with the people who help to make our program successful, and other important information.
About the McNair Scholars Program
Newsletter
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- , Spanish
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Journal
Summer Research Symposium Programs
If you would like to make a gift to support the McNair Scholars Program at 海角黑料 University, please . In the Gift Note section of the giving form, you can designate your gift for the McNair Scholars Program.
If you have questions about making a gift or would like to speak with someone in University Advancement, please call 512-464-8826 or send an email to advancement@stedwards.edu.
Thank you for your interest in supporting the McNair Scholars Program at 海角黑料 University.
The High Standards of Ronald E. McNair
Ronald Erwin McNair was born on October 21, 1950, in Lake City, South Carolina. He dreamed of becoming a scientist. In spite of the challenges he faced as a result of being born into a climate of racial segregation, his hard work and persistence paid off: He was valedictorian of his high school graduating class and was accepted by North Carolina A&T University. In 1971, he graduated with a Bachelor of Science in Physics. He went on to graduate school at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and earned his Ph.D. in quantum electronics and laser technology in 1976. His achievements include being named a Presidential Scholar, a Ford Foundation Fellow, a National Fellowship Fund Fellow, a NATO Fellow, winner of the Omega Psi Phi Scholar of the Year Award, and Distinguished Alumni Award. He was also an accomplished saxophone player and held a fifth degree black belt in karate.
While at MIT, Dr. McNair contributed to some of the earliest development of chemical HF/DF and high-pressure CO lasers. His later experiments and theoretical analyses added to the understanding and applications for highly excited polyatomic molecules. In 1975, he studied laser physics with experts in the field at Ecole Dete Theorique de Physique, Les Houches, France. He published several papers about lasers and molecular spectroscopy and presented his findings at numerous conferences in the United States and abroad. Following his graduation from MIT, he took a position as staff physicist with Hughes Research Laboratories in Malibu, California, where he worked on developing lasers for isotope separation and photochemistry using non-linear interactions in low-temperature liquids and optical pumping techniques. He also conducted research on electro-optic laser modulation for satellite-to-satellite space communications, the construction of ultra-fast infrared detectors, ultraviolet atmospheric remote sensing, and the scientific foundations of the martial arts.
In January 1978, NASA selected Dr. McNair as an astronaut candidate. After training for a year, he was qualified as a mission specialist astronaut and eligible for assignments on Space Shuttle flights. His first mission launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida on February 3, 1984. His first flight successfully accomplished the proper shuttle deployment of two Hughes 376 communications satellites. This mission marked the first flight of the Manned Maneuvering Unit and the first use of the Canadian arm, operated by Dr. McNair, to position EVA crewmen around the Challenger's payload bay. Dr. McNair also assumed other responsibilities: the German SPAS-01 Satellite, acoustic levitation and chemical separation experiments, the Cinema 360 motion picture filming, five Getaway Specials, and other mid-deck experiments. The Challenger concluded its mission in the first landing on the runway at Kennedy Space Center on February 11, 1984, and Dr. McNair logged 191 hours in space.
On January 28, 1986, Dr. McNair joined the Space Shuttle Challenger on his second mission to space. Shortly after liftoff, the Challenger exploded and, tragically, all seven people aboard were killed, including spacecraft commander Mr. F.R. Scobee, pilot Commander M.J. Smith (USN), mission specialists Lieutenant Colonel E.S. Onizuka (USAF), and Dr. J.A. Resnik, and two civilian payload specialists, Mr. G.B. Jarvis and Mrs. S. C. McAuliffe. Dr. McNair is survived by his wife Cheryl and their two children. He was posthumously awarded the Congressional Space Medal of Honor. Dr. McNair was the second African American to fly in space.
Shortly after Dr. McNair鈥檚 death, members of the United States Congress named a federal grant program in his honor to recognize his remarkable academic and professional achievements and to encourage low-income, first-generation college students and/or traditionally underrepresented in graduate education to pursue doctoral study. The program serves as a living memorial to honor a man who conquered the obstacles of racial segregation and poverty to earn a Ph.D. in physics and to realize his dream to become an astronaut. Dr. McNair鈥檚 life personified his belief that "true courage comes in enduring, persevering, preparation and believing in oneself."
Staff
Director
Andrea Holgado, PhD
Assistant Director
Renee Pinchero, MA
Administrative Coordinator
Corrie Lankford, AA
You Can Help McNair
Contact Us
Hours
Monday through Friday
8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Location
Moody Hall
Room 126
Get in Touch
McNair Scholars Program
mcnairscholars@stedwards.edu
512-428-1268